Galdisa USA gets employment requirement extension

Tax Assessor-Collector Tammy McRae presented an amendment to a tax abatement agreement with Galdisa USD to the court.

Tax Assessor-Collector Tammy McRae presented an amendment to a tax abatement agreement with Galdisa USD to the court.

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

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Tax Assessor-Collector Tammy McRae presented an amendment to a tax abatement agreement with Galdisa USD to the court.

Tax Assessor-Collector Tammy McRae presented an amendment to a tax abatement agreement with Galdisa USD to the court.

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

Galdisa USA gets employment requirement extension

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Montgomery County commissioners approved a year extension to a tax abatement agreement with Galdisa USA Inc. due to development setbacks by Hurricane Harvey.

Tax Assessor-Collector Tammy McRae presented the amendment to the agreement to the court Tuesday. The commissioners and the Conroe City Council both approved the original tax abatement agreement in November 2016.

“They were in the process of construction when Hurricane Harvey hit,” McRae said.

Galdisa is planning the construction of a $5.4 million peanut-processing facility at Conroe Park North industrial park.

However, McRae said the company asked for an extension on the employment requirement. According to the original agreement, Galdisa was to have already hired at least 24 employees with a payroll of over $750,000.

“They are just slightly below,” McRae said adding the company to date has only hired 18 employees.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Meador said he was in support of the amendment.

“They’ll get there,” he said of the employment requirement.

Galdisa USA is an affiliate of Galdisa Mexico and specializes in supplying and processing peanuts, pumpkin seeds, hibiscus flower, broad beans and chickpeas. Representatives with Galdisa could not be reached for comment.

According to the agreement, the city will abate the property tax on the 10-acre plot for six years beginning in 2017. The first two years will be at 100 percent abatement before stepping down to 80, 60, 40 and 20 percent each subsequent year.